MOLLE is an acronym for Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. It is used to define the current generation of load-bearing equipment and rucksacks utilized by a number of NATO armed forces, especially the British Army and the United States Army. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,707, issued Mar. 10, 1998. The system's modularity is derived from the use of PALS webbing as rows of heavy-duty nylon stitched onto the vest to allow for attachment of various MOLLE-compatible pouches and accessories.
The Pouch Attachment Ladder System (PALS) is a grid of webbing used to attach smaller equipment onto load-bearing platforms, such as vests and backpacks. PALS consists of webbing sewn onto the load-bearing equipment and corresponding webbing and straps on the attachment. The straps are interwoven between the webbing on each of two pieces and finally snapped into place, making for a very secure fit which can be detached with moderate effort. The PALS grid consists of horizontal rows of 1 inch (2.5 cm) Mil-W-43668 Type III nylon webbing (most commercial vendors use Type IIIa), spaced 1 inch apart, and reattached to the backing at 1.5 inch (3.8 cm) intervals.
PALS and the MOLLE system were first used on rucksacks, but are now found on a variety of tactical equipment, including vests and other carry/storage devices. PALS webbing and the MOLLE-type attachment straps have become standardized so that they are universally compatible. They are used to attach items such as holsters, magazine pouches, radio pouches, knife sheathes, and other gear. A wide variety of pouches are commercially available, allowing soldiers or civilian law enforcement tactical units to customize how they carry their equipment and supplies.
In such MOLLE systems, as noted above, webbing is secured in rows on both articles to be attached together; the rows typically being stitched, for example, at intervals thereacross leaving intermittent webbing portions, between intermittent lines of stitching, unattached. The rows of webbing on the items are parallel and typically either horizontally or vertically oriented. When the two articles are juxtaposed, the webbing rows on one of the articles are offset from the webbing rows on the other article. Again, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,707.
One or more flexible straps (MOLLE-type straps) on the items are then interwoven through the adjacent webbing rows, securing the two articles together. Snap-together or yieldable latches at the ends of each strap are connected and the articles are secured together. The straps can be selectively released and the articles repositioned with respect to each other to orient them in a desired manner, limited both by the number or extent of the rows of webbing on each, and by the direction of extension of the webbing.
It is that limitation to which this invention is directed. Given two articles with rows of webbing secured to each, the possible placement and connection of one article to the other is limited by the location and extent of the webbing. Such a system then cannot accommodate placement of the article relative to a second article significantly offset therefrom and beyond the webbing. For example, it may be desired to secure a pouch to a pack, vest, or belt in an area where there are no corresponding rows of webs. Or, it may be desired to secure a pouch at an angle relative to the rows of webbing.
It is thus accordingly desired to be able to interconnect one article to another via a MOLLE-style attachment but without the limited spatial orientation inherent in current MOLLE/PALS systems.